Shotgun Witch

About

"Shotgun Witch" is a fast-paced, action-packed game where you play as a witch with a shotgun, facing hordes of enemies in frenetic battles. With a unique blend of shooter and magic elements, players can perform various spells and upgrade their weapons for a more intense gameplay experience. Fight your way through different levels, defeat epic bosses, and uncover the mystery behind the witch's power.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 641 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a cute art style and engaging gameplay, making it enjoyable for a short play session.
It's a free game that offers a fun bullet hell experience with a humorous premise of a witch using a shotgun to reclaim her spellbook.
The controls are responsive, and the mechanics allow for satisfying gameplay, especially with the ability to destroy enemy projectiles.

The game is very short, with only a few enemy types and a single boss, leading to a lack of variety and replayability.
Some players found the difficulty to be inconsistent, with the final boss being particularly frustrating due to its random attack patterns.
There is no save feature, meaning players must replay earlier waves if they die during the final boss fight, which can be tedious.

gameplay
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
7%
The gameplay is characterized as simple yet engaging, with a focus on bullet avoidance in a minimalistic 2D arena. While it features limited mechanics and enemy types, players find it enjoyable and challenging, especially with the added pressure of having only one health point. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with a whimsical art style and a decent replay value through its second mode.
- “A cool little bullet hell shooter with simple gameplay that flows very well.”
- “Gameplay is rather simple but is unseemingly tricky to master.”
- “Cute witch, cool shotgun, and enjoyable gameplay.”
- “I like the art style, animation, and sound design a lot, but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired.”
- “The gameplay is very minimalistic, especially for a so-called bullet hell game: there aren't very many bullets thrown at you (except when you face the boss and, even then, its patterns are somewhat sparse), you have no bomb to clear the screen, you only have two different types of shots and a teleport, and there are only two (and a half) types of enemies plus one boss.”
- “Gameplay-wise, there's really nothing too special or even much to say.”
story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
47%
11%
The game's story, while brief and simple, is characterized by a humorous and whimsical narrative about a witch reclaiming her stolen spellbook using a shotgun, which adds a charming twist to the gameplay. Players appreciate the cute protagonist and the emotional journey, though many express a desire for a more extended storyline and additional content. Overall, the story is memorable and entertaining, despite its short duration and limited replay value.
- “The emotion you go through with this witch as the story beautifully unravels itself to both of you is just perfect.”
- “I'm not a journalist and I enjoy a challenge; everything else about the game is pretty great from what I've seen, the story is adorable and I love the witch with her shotgun.”
- “Overall, it would be better if it had a storyline explaining how the witch lost her spellbook and how she got the shotgun.”
- “The story is quite basic but it doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever and has a humorous twist which makes it memorable: demons have stolen the witch's spellbook and she sets off to get it back by slaying them using her top-of-the-line 12-gauge double-barrel Remington.”
- “Although there is basically no story, that doesn't make the game any less interesting.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and cute pixel art style that complements its whimsical witchy theme. Players appreciate the delightful animations and artwork, which enhance the overall experience, despite some noting that the visuals may not be cutting-edge compared to contemporary standards. Overall, the graphics are considered above average, contributing to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere.
- “The graphics use cute pixel art which fits the witchy theme really well while the artwork is cartoony but adorable and a delight to look at.”
- “Overall, I highly recommend playing it at least once because it's free, the gameplay is decent and engaging enough, the graphics are adorable, the music is fantastic, and the premise does not take itself seriously at all which results in it being quite humorous and whimsical.”
- “The visuals are adorably 8-bit pixely and the mechanics keep it super simple and fun to play, you can shoot a single barrel narrow shot, a wider double barrel shot or dash and that's all you need to know to be ready to play the game!”
- “The game features obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “The game has always-on bad vsync implementation and I can feel the lag; you need to change the vsync setting with your graphic control panel.”
- “The niche graphics is all this has going for it.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its catchy and enjoyable tracks, with a diverse soundtrack featuring genres like middle eastern, celtic folk, cyberpunk, and adventure rock. While some players found the in-game music to be bland, many praised the boss soundtrack as particularly memorable and impactful. Overall, the music enhances the whimsical and humorous tone of the game, making it a standout aspect despite the game's simplicity.
- “Overall, I highly recommend playing it at least once because it's free, the gameplay is decent and engaging enough, the main campaign is short and quite easy so it doesn't require much commitment. The graphics are adorable, the music is fantastic, and the premise does not take itself seriously at all, which results in it being quite humorous and whimsical.”
- “The soundtrack is composed of four royalty-free songs by [u][url=https://www.youtube.com/@peritune]peritune[/url][/u] which range in genre from Middle Eastern to Celtic folk, cyberpunk, and adventure rock.”
- “The music is actually really badass and cool for a game this simple and free to play, which made me never mute the game and just enjoy the music while playing.”
- “The in-game music was bland.”
- “The soundtrack is composed of four royalty-free songs by [u][url=https://www.youtube.com/@peritune]peritune[/url][/u] which range in genre from middle eastern to celtic folk, cyberpunk, and adventure rock.”
- “🔲 just filling noises/no music”
humor
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its whimsical and absurd elements, particularly the quirky premise of a witch using a shotgun to reclaim her stolen spellbook. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, funny dialogue, and amusing character designs, which contribute to an overall enjoyable and entertaining experience. The game's comedic approach, combined with its cute graphics and engaging gameplay, makes it a memorable and fun time-waster.
- “Overall, I highly recommend playing it at least once because it's free, the gameplay is decent and engaging enough, the main campaign is short and quite easy so it doesn't require much commitment. The graphics are adorable, the music is fantastic, and the premise does not take itself seriously at all, which results in it being quite humorous and whimsical.”
- “The story is quite basic but it doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever and has a humorous twist which makes it memorable: demons have stolen the witch's spellbook and she sets off to get it back by slaying them using her top-of-the-line 12-gauge double-barrel Remington (which is only $189.95 at S-Mart).”
- “A funny little bullet hell game about a witch who tries to get her spell book back by any means - which means in her case by using a shotgun.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability primarily due to its short and easy main campaign, which can be completed in under five minutes. However, it features an infinite mode that increases in difficulty, providing opportunities for high score competition and practice, which enhances its replay value for those interested in challenging gameplay. Overall, while the main story lacks depth for repeated playthroughs, the additional modes can keep players engaged.
- “Overall, I highly recommend playing it at least once because it's free, the gameplay is decent and engaging enough, the main campaign is short and quite easy so it doesn't require much commitment. There is a second mode which is more challenging and adds some replay value, the graphics are adorable, the music is fantastic, and the premise does not take itself seriously at all, resulting in it being quite humorous and whimsical.”
- “A short, free, charming, and fun experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. There are only 2 enemy types and a boss, but that's honestly alright. The game knows what it is and it doesn't waste your time; it's genuinely quite replayable too!”
- “🔲 Infinitely replayable (or almost)”
- “That being said, the story mode can take five minutes or less if you are familiar with the genre and it doesn't have much replay value; however, if you are interested in competing for high scores and bragging rights, then you can play the infinite mode which slowly becomes more challenging over time and eventually becomes more akin to a true bullet hell game.”
- “It's a pretty fun game to practice your second amendment rights, but it has little replay value, so if you finish the game, there pretty much isn't anything else to do.”
- “A short, free, charming and fun experience that I thoroughly enjoyed, only 2 enemy types and a boss but that's honestly alright, the game knows what it is and it doesn't waste your time, it's genuinely quite replayable too!”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply nostalgic and touching, evoking memories of childhood and simpler times through its storytelling and gameplay. The blend of whimsical narratives, such as a witch dispensing justice, alongside the nostalgic feel of classic flash games, creates a heartfelt experience that resonates with users.
- “The touching tale of a witch, monsters, and the 12-gauge double-barrel Remington she uses to dispense justice to them.”
- “They can house anything from hyperactive gunplay in Enter the Gungeon, varied mechanics in Alien Swarm, and even touching stories in Binding of Isaac.”
- “This game made me feel like I was in an arcade and a child again.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while the game features five achievements that can be completed quickly, two require a significant amount of grinding, particularly for the death counter achievement, which seems to have inconsistencies in its tracking. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a mixed experience, with some achievements feeling overly tedious.
- “Nevertheless, it has five achievements which can all be acquired within 12 minutes (if you are familiar with this genre), but two of them will require around three minutes of grinding.”
- “I think the 30 death counter achievement is a bit broken. I was grinding them out, eventually started to count, and at 15 finally got it after having died at least 10 times, plus a ton more trying to finish wave 5 and the boss.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the character development in the game, highlighting the charm of the character designs, particularly for the witch and enemies, which are described as simple yet lovable. Overall, the character development is noted as a strong point of the game.
- “I like the music a lot, and the character designs of the witch and enemies are so simple yet so lovable.”
- “Also, there is very great character development.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is noted as positive, as it is completely free, contrasting with the common trend of games made with Gamemaker Studio being perceived as low-effort cash grabs.
- “Very often, game maker studios are used to create shovelware and lazy cash grabs, although in this case, the game is completely free.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been noted to cause minor frame stuttering, particularly in full-screen mode, which can be exacerbated by close encounters with enemies.
- “I experienced minor frame stuttering while using full screen, so don't get too close to enemies.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in crowded areas.”
- “Loading times are excessively long, making it frustrating to jump back into the action.”